The Sixsmith Principle of Being
by nebulaX
Summary: Ichijo Takuma is having an existential crisis. And for vampires that have no end to time, that's an intense problem. What happens when he starts questioning everything around him? And what happens when two mysterious visitors give him something to think about? Set after the end of the manga so SPOILERS. Humor,friendship,canon and OC love included.If you like deep stuff,this is it!
1. The Crisis Begins

**I am back with a brand new Vampire Knight fanfiction! It was a spur of the moment decision because I really wanted to write one on my favorite vamp, Ichijo Takuma, but did not want to follow the herd and do a regular romance story. **

**So then it hit me: What the frigg happens to him after the end of the series? Now SPOILER, if you haven't finished VK yet, you're going to be corrupted by spoilers left and right. If you did, then please tell me you're on the same boat as me. Anyway, that's what I wanted to tackle: post-manga, all the unexplained shit that Lady Hino left us, and of course a new crazy spin I like to put in my fanfics. **

**Also I tend to have a habit of disappearing and reappearing between long hiatuses. Sorry life happens. But I said I'll do my best to finish the other fanfics so have faith. And big thanks to those who have supported me all this time with my stories. You guys are great and I love you :) **

**And that is that. Enjoy this new whack-fest!**

**Disclaimer: I own the whack-fest. Vampire Knight owns Hino Matsuri.**

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Chapter 1: The Crisis Begins

Ichijo Takuma let out a lengthy sigh as he lied sprawled out on his four-poster bed, his eyes fixated at the ceiling above. Silk linings imbedded with gold trimmings outlined the canopy. They were made to look like stars. As always.

The smell of the rain outside burned his nose, and the slow tune of the grandfather clock was a soundtrack for the uncanny silence. He imagined an orchestra preparing for a symphony—first his heartbeat, then his breathing, and finally, that subconscious hum of his inner organs and nerves working in their synchronized system.

As always.

And as always and forever, he would hear the same sounds of his internal and external world. He would see the same artificial stars when he went to bed, and the same people who would wander like him through eternity. Of course, not everyone: there were humans who would die off before him and purebloods who would most likely exist longer than him, that is, if they chose not to kill themselves first.

Like Kaname Kuran.

The thought of his deceased friend was a gateway into other thoughts preceding his ultimate sacrifice. His grandfather's betrayal; Kaname's pureblood killing spree; Sara.

The memory of that woman was like a vicious thorn on his side. After her death, nothing was of value to him anymore. Nothing made sense, nor did anything excite his inquisitive nature. Ichijo was always a unique vampire, almost as radiant and bright as a human. But Sara had showed the true nature of purebloods and of their kind, and she did not just suck away his love for her that day. She also sucked away his purpose.

_What am I still doing here?_ He thought to himself. _Why am I even here in the first place?_

It was pretty obvious what was happening to him. He was beginning to question things bigger than himself. Humans supposedly did it too, but not to such an intense degree. Or did they?

Ichijo thought about the many times he had seen Kaname lying hour after hour on his sofa, just staring into nothing. He knew the pureblood king's thoughts jumped between Yuuki Cross and plotting different ways to keep her safe. But he wondered if he ever had turned his attention to other things. Other unrelated things like Aido's research that was helping the human world find new cures or signs of mysterious alien life-forms that was recently found in space debris closest to earth.

The truth was, Kaname did not care. He did not care about anything other than Yuuki, and as annoying as his constant fanboy rant about her used to be, Ichijo could not blame him. He could not blame any vampire. He could not blame that what was happening outside of their world was of little interest to the people he knew. They were all just bored. Drifting and bored.

But unlike any vampire, he did not contemplate suicide as the final escape. Sure, he thought about it occasionally, but even a lifeless existence could not compel him to end his life. That was when he realized it was not him, but the world he lived in that battered him down. It was the chain in the hierarchy of their race that he knew so well.

It was a childish and a rebellious thought to want something completely different than he already had. Ichijo was a respected noble, but what did that even mean in the grand scheme of things? Was he going to be a noble forever? Did not a word or title lose its significance when used over and over the same way for so long? Would he become just as stale too?

"Arghh…" Ichijo rubbed his brows as he let out a whining sound. Too much existential thinking was giving him a headache.

The doorbell rang twice. _Ah, a distraction!_ He thought as he got up. It was time to put on his bubbly face again.

XXXXXXX

"Shiki, Rima." Ichijo came downstairs to find that his maid had opened the door for them. "What are you guys doing here?"

"We wanted to see how you were." Shiki said as he stepped inside. "It's quiet at Aido's summer home without you there."

"Oh?" Ichijo gave his usual kind smile. "But he's such a loud, er…good entertainer."

"Tch, he's toned his antics down several notches now that his fiancé, Sayori-san, is with him." Rima added.

"Well anyway, we wanted to make sure you're doing well." Shiki continued as he and Rima made their way to the sofas and sat down without an invite. "We haven't seen you ever since my cousin had the baby."

"I've just been busy with work." Ichijo grinned sheepishly. "Maintaining the Ichijo business isn't easy on your own."

"Your parents still don't want to support you?" Rima asked.

Ichijo shrugged. "They're not particularly fond of the fact that I eh…usurped my grandfather's position."

Shiki stared into his eyes and noticed the vacant look that had occupied his vision ever since the war was over and the great Kaname was put to rest. He knew Ichijo was not the same man that he once was, but that bright and charming persona was one that never left him. In fact, it was the guise that had gotten him through a lot of shady things.

"You don't really want us here, do you." Shiki broke the temporary silence.

"Eh? No, of course I do! Why do you say that?" Ichijo spoke defensively.

"You were always very secretive, Ichijo-san, but now you're even worse." Rima answered. "Spill. What's wrong?"

"What's wrong…?" Ichijo repeated questionably and shuffled back nervously from their inquisitive glare. "There's nothing wrong with m—"

"Wrong answer!" Rima shot up and walked over to the pile of books that occupied the lamp table. She grabbed the first one and held it up. "Buddha? You're reading about Buddha?"

"Wha—" Ichijo did not have time to answer before Shiki picked up a second book.

"_A Brief History of Time_ by Stephen Hawkings." He read out loud. "When were you ever interested in science and religion?"

"I've always been curious." Ichijo got up to join them. "Haven't you guys ever been curious about these things?"

"Not really. They don't really affect us in any way." Shiki said.

"Everything affects us!" Ichijo suddenly found a surge of energy in his voice. It was the excitement he knew so well—the kind that he got from reading books. "From the spiritual realms to the physical world…we are intertwined in a symbiotic relationship that affects us the same way we affect them."

"Uh-oh, I think Ichijo is turning into a holy philosopher." Rima drawled.

"No but listen," Ichijo rummaged through his bookshelf and took out a thick novel that had become old and yellow with age. "I found this at a human library recently, a copy that was revived from the early days when human civilization fell. It is a story about a man who fears mankind will perish because his world has been taken over by a new race."

He flipped to the last page, a frustrated anxiety that got his heart pumping faster for no reason. "This quote is my absolute favorite," He licked his lips:

"_I write to you from the future, Sixsmith. Please know that your race will continue to prosper, not through seclusion but through expansion. At some point, you will take refuge in a different world, in a different era. Don't be afraid of this trans-terrestrial adventure. We will survive, mind and soul. Science, bless us all._"

"Uh…" Shiki looked at Rima then back to Ichijo. "What are we supposed to get here?"

"That we are a dwindling race because we are bored! And we are bored because we all live a monotonous lifestyle that never changes. And what do vampires do when they are helplessly bored? They go insane." Ichijo thought about Sara. "Don't you see? We're the secluded race!"

There was a pause as Shiki and Rima simultaneously put their hands on both of his shoulders. Their faces looked grave. Ichijo raised a brow.

"Uh-oh…are you contemplating doing something crazy?" Shiki bore his eyes at him. "Because we're not _that _bored."

"Don't go to the dark place, Ichijo-san." Rima whispered threateningly. "Not you too."

"What? No, no!" Ichijo waved his arms apologetically. "I'm not saying I'm going to do something regrettable. I just—" He pulled away, his mind going to his childish desires again. "I want to be like Sixsmith."

"Who?" The other two said simultaneously.

"The protagonist in the story. I want…I want…" Ichijo suddenly turned around and put his hands on his hips, a sudden fortitude in his expression. "I want to go on an adventure!"

"Oh." Riki and Shima answered simultaneously.

"I want to explore. I want to expand." Ichijo continued. "I want to take that journey into the unknown. I don't want to just exist, I want to…live."

"Why don't you go on a vacation?" Rima said. "Do that self-searching thing humans do."

"Yes, but where? And how?" Ichijo let out a sigh and plopped on a chair. "Nevermind. Maybe I'm being irrational. I shouldn't get sucked in to fictional worlds like that and hope for the impossible."

"Don't worry. Something good may show up." Rima patted his head. "Things will get better."

"Yeah, and If you can't think of anything, we'll bring some ideas." Shiki said. "In any case, we should get going. We'll see you at the academy."

"Okay. But hey…" Ichijo looked at them warmly. "Thanks for thinking of me."

"It's what we do." Rima lightly smiled before they headed out. Ichijo lingered his smile just enough for him to look longingly at his books again—the imaginary world he would never touch.

Outside, the dark sky was filled with stars. It never looked so clear before.

"Do you think Ichijo-san will be fine on his own?" Rima said as they walked to their car.

Shiki shrugged. "He's gone through worse. We'll have to do more interventions like this just to be sure."

"Ah look," Rima turned her attention to the sky. "A meteor shower."

The cosmic activity perked their interest as they watched with awe. The universe was truly a beautiful sight. Even they had to wonder what Ichijo had meant about his existential frustrations.

"Do you…ever feel insignificant, Shiki?" Rima whispered without looking away from the sky.

"Yeah…I do now."

They both sighed together.

XXXXXXX

Ichijo took a place by the window as his maid poured him so rose tea. He stared at the pile of work he had to finish and got tense. Was his life going to be like this for the rest of existence? Handling a company he hardly cared for? Filling out papers and reports all night? He was somewhat glad the break was almost over—going back to Cross Academy would take his mind off of his irritating thoughts. Not to mention new Day Class students would be seeing the Night Class for who they really were—as vampires. The good ones.

Suddenly, a loud boom outside exploded his senses as he jumped up in fright. "What was that?" He asked his maid first before looking outside. The first thing he saw was a blinding ball of light that disappeared behind the trees. What followed was a quake that shook the entire chateau. The maids started to scream, but the quaking stopped just as it had come. Ichijo's heart was pumping. What. Just. Happened?

"It's okay, ladies," Ichijo calmed them as he got stable. "I will go outside and see what has happened."

"Be careful, Ichijo-sama!" They said simultaneously.

Ichijo did not hesitate as he grabbed his jacket and walked outside into the cool night. Everything was silent except for the crickets. But as he looked, he noticed a trail of smoke leaving the adjoining woods. Something had crashed there. A strange sensation pulled his core. Was it a meteorite? There was a meteor shower that night, so maybe one had decided to make a hasty landing.

He made a sprint for the woods. Like a curious child, he wanted to see this meteorite up close. A remnant of space, he thought with wonder. This was the 'something new' he was looking for. Maybe not the adventure he imagined, but if it was something out of the ordinary, he wanted to grab it first.

The path went on for several kilometers before he got to the source of the impact. He squinted his eyes to look past the strange glow that emanated from behind the last few bushes. His heart was skipping in his chest. It was not the usual orchestra, but a chaotic conundrum of sounds.

When he pulled away the last set of leaves and looked down at the shallow crater newly created from the impact, his heart stopped in his throat.

_Oh…my…god…_ He breathed.

The object was twice his height and wide as a carousel. It was shaped like a strange capsule, like a cocoon. There were some glowing lights on the machine, but the rest looked damaged. Ichijo did not blink. This was no meteorite!

After what seemed like hours, he slowly approached the strange carrier. He could make out a screen door, and some defected parts. _Was this…?_ He thought. _No, it couldn't be. It was impossible!_

But then the foreign scent hit him before he had time to react to the gun that was suddenly pointed at his head.

"State yer name and occupation, homo sapien." The voice behind him spoke English. But the accent was strangely different.

_Homo Sapien? _Ichijo did not have time to think before he fumbled for the right words. "I-Ichijo Takuma. Noble Aristocrat."

"And yer affiliation?"

_My what?_ Ichijo tried again. "I don't quite know what you mean by that."

"Affiliation, yah know—the region yah represent. The land yer kind claims. What zit called…a country?"

"Uh, Japan?"

"Japan? Nehh-ver heard o' that…" Ichijo heard some clicking sounds as the voice let out a notion of recognition. "Ohhhhhh, wouldcha look at that. We landed in the wrong period."

_Wrong period? Affiliations?_ The words that were coming out of the stranger's mouth made no sense. He ached to see his, or _its_, face, but the gun was not going to move anytime soon. Ichijo was beginning to fear the worst. Whoever was behind him was no human, or vampire. The stranger was highly lacking in common knowledge, as if he had dropped completely out of the sky.

_Sky. Meteor. Space capsule!_ The obvious possibility hit him harder than any force in existence.

"A-are you an alien?" He breathed out timidly.

"Wah? Is that whatcha callin' us these days?" The gun quickly came down, and the owner of the voice materialized into view.

Now the young vampire had seen many strange and unexplainable things in his years. It was his life as a creature of the night. What was normal to him was not to a regular human. But nothing, _nothing_, prepared him for the sight that captured his vision then and there.

She, or it, or whatever, had light lavender skin with areas of blended blue and green. The hair was maroon with pink tips that trickled down wildly to her neck. Those features oversaw the strange suit that covered her female form, but her foreign curvy eyes were the brightest of all—catlike pupils around hazel irises. Ichijo looked down and gasped internally. A tail extended like a thin snake with a sharp arrow-like tip. There were so many other things he wanted to take note of, but just the thought of facing such a creature made him rethink everything he had known and accepted in his immortal life.

"Listen," She whispered to him after looking around suspiciously. "I can talk ta yah all day but I need yer help. Do yah have a place ta call yer own?"

"A-a house?" Ichijo whispered back, still in shock. "My home is nearby, but—"

"Parr-fecta!" She clasped her hands together in glee, her skin suddenly glowing at her surge of satisfaction. "Then we must get ta work. No time ta lose!"

Ichijo watched as she turned and skipped over to the capsule. He did not move, for the last few seconds were still trying to catch up with his intense awe.

"Oh, and eh…" She stopped to look at him. "Yer not gonna freak out and report us to yer authorities, are yah?"

Ichijo breathed out a 'no' with great force.

"Good. 'Cause yah might wanta prepare yerself." With that, she pulled open the screen door with a huge ripping sound and disappeared inside. After a couple of shuffling and metallic sounds, she finally came out, but not alone.

Ichijo had to gasp again. The stranger carried someone in her arms—a human like form with a tall body. But its head was oddly-shaped, long and bony with a bald shiny skull. Its eyes were closed, and with a further look, Ichijo could tell that it was heavily injured in the chest.

"I need ta help my friend." The stranger said. "Direct me to yer abode, homo sapien."

"Oh!" Ichijo broke out of his thoughts as the issue at hand unfroze him. "R-right. This way."

He turned around and guided the two towards his chateau. The walk back was more tense and long, and each step was a cold reminder that he was leading two completely different beings—an entire duo of strangers—into his home. Several blood-curling thoughts washed through his brain. Were they here to invade their planet? Were they going to turn everyone into slaves, including him? Oh god, what if they _probed_ him?

Ichijo swallowed hard and saw that the stranger had not said a single word. But she did not look dangerous, nor did she seem like she was looking for trouble. Her companion was hurt, and it was only natural that she needed help to restore him.

"What happened to it—er—him?" Ichijo asked curiously out of the blue.

"Eh, just got some hurtin' from a force field after tryin' ta change the path of our capsule craft." She responded casually like it was common knowledge. "I'lla explain later. Maybe."

After they reached the front steps, Ichijo ran ahead and opened the door. The first thing the stranger faced were the maids, who after setting one look at her let out an ear-splitting scream.

"Ladies! Ladies! It's okay!" Ichijo hushed them down while not trying to spaz out himself.

"Tis alright, we be just friendly outsiders." The stranger added before setting her companion down on a tabletop. She looked up and down his comatose form and tapped her chin quizzically. "Alrrightt, I'm gonna need ta do an operation."

"A _w-what_? An operation? Here? Now?" Ichijo approached her apprehensively. "We don't have, I mean I don't have—"

"You've done yer job sir." She put a hand up for reassurance. Her face was calm and collected, as if she had planned this and knew exactly what to do. Still, she was completely unaware of the anxious atmosphere around her. Her next set of words heightened the anxiety even more.

"I'm gonna need ta ask yah and yer possy ta look away 'cause thissa about ta get ugly."

_Ugly?_ Suddenly, Ichijo felt the room spinning. He was not prepared for this. He was not prepared for anything. Not a spaceship, not a mysterious alien and her companion, and certainly not an operation. This was becoming too much, too fast. And in his own house!

"I…I…" The young vampire felt his head go light right before the stranger jabbed the sharp end of her tail into her companion's torso. A wholly new smell exploded his nose as his vision became blurry and his knees gave up entirely. The events from the last few minutes conjured up like a force that sent him falling. "Mummy…"

And without a further word, Ichijo flopped to the ground and passed out.

XXXXXXXX

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**Woah, what you ask? Aliens in Vampire Knight? Hell to the yeah! **

**But I swear I wasn't high when I wrote this. Seriously!**

**A couple of things: I wanted to try a new accent for the alien girl. Imagine a Scottish accent because I love their sing-song tone so much. Not saying Scots are aliens, it's just all out of love. Hee-hee. **

**2****nd****: The book about Sixsmith and the quote are made up. Funny story about the quote…I think I wrote it down when I was drunk one time and found it a year later not remembering I wrote it. Yeah…it happens. **

**New chapter will come soon! What will happen to Ichijo? What do the aliens want? Will they probe him? Admit it, you want them to probe him, tee-hee.**

**Tell me what you think :) **


	2. The Two Strangers

**New chapter.** **I honestly don't know where I come up with these weird plots but it's fun. **

**More VK madness!**

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Chapter 2: The Two Strangers

Ichijo Takuma woke up to a series of metallic clings and drumming near his ear, as if something was being assembled close by. His blanket had been put over his face, leaving his feet exposed. He moved it aside to realize that he was on his sofa in an empty room.

_Wha…what just… _He put his hand over his face and tried to remember the past few unexpected series of events. The crash. The spaceship. The alien girl. Her companion. The operation. The thoughts came crashing in all at once and almost made him collapse into another coma. But Ichijo was a noble vampire, and he could not just spaz out like a regular human without thinking rationally.

"I am in an empty room with strangers in my house…" He said to himself, his face white as stone. His senses finally alerted him of the sounds that were taking place outside. He shot up in cold sweat and ran out into the hallway.

"There are strangers in my house and they're taking it apart…" He repeated to himself again, this time more fearful than before. "There are strangers in my house and they're destroying my home!"

"Who be destroyin' yer home?" Ichijo let out a squeal when he noticed a presence approach beside of him. The stranger with the cat-like eyes stared coyly at him, but his mouth dropped instead to the new pair of clothes she was wearing. And _stole—_his special red and gold embroidered kimono robe with her own white top and pants underneath. A pair of black knee-length boots covered her feet and a metallic gold belt adorned her waist. Ichijo would have cried if it had not been for the fact that she looked quite good in them.

"W-why are you wearing…" Ichijo mumbled in confusion. "What's happening?"

"Ah, well yer system crashed and yah fell down when I was startin' the operation, and I put yah to rest." The stranger spoke with a smile. "And don't be worryin' about yer home. We're not going ta destroy it."

"Y-you won't? Then what are you, what am I, what are we…" The poor vampire was getting tongue-tied with the excess noise and the foreign smell that was affecting his brain. He could not understand whether it was a dream or reality, but one thing was true—he had wished for something new to happen, and it _had_ happened. Just a little too unexpectedly.

"Wooo there, maybe yah want to lie down." The stranger put her hand on his forehead. Ichijo found it to be surprisingly warm and soft. He couldn't help but think some more. Did aliens really have soft hands? What kind of blood flowed through those strange veins?

"I-I'm fine." Ichijo stood up calmly and took a deep breath. He had to get himself together. "Really I am."

"Maybe tis a bit much for yah, eh? Seeing a creature like me for the first time." She grinned, exposing her small fangs. "But there'll be plenty of time ta get acquainted seeing that my partner and I have ta stick around longer than we thought."

Ichijo raised a brow. "What?"

The stranger shrugged sheepishly. "Our capsule craft still needsa more repairs, see, and well—"

"It's going to take more time to fix it."

Ichijo let out a yelp as his eyes met the owner of the new voice. The stranger's partner was alive and well, and he had bent down to come through the front door. He was incredibly tall and slender, with a face that looked like the grim reaper. His blue skin was now covered by a sleeveless black robe, and his long fingers wielded tools the vampire had not seen before.

"Ah Valek, yer entrance is at a most convenient time!" The stranger chirped. "Now tella this fella here why we're basically screwed."

"We're basically screwed." The creature repeated monotonously. "The thrust engines have failed and the warp hole navigator is in frail condition. I will need some time to understand how the back-up generator works before we put it to the test."

"That means you're stuck here?" Ichijo tried to make sense of what was happening before him. "You can't go back to where…wherever you came from?"

"Well, only for 168 plus hours which in human terms I suppose it be more than a week," the stranger rubbed her chin thoughtfully. "But don't worry eh? Ya won't even know we're here."

_Won't know they're here? _Ichijo yelled in his mind. He had an alien girl with a tail wearing his kimono and a grim reaper creature in his house and they thought no one would notice? What was he going to tell the council? What was he going to tell his fellow vampires? What was he going to say to his poor maids?

"Valek-sama…here's the drivers you wanted." The maids suddenly came up behind the creature with more tools in their hands, looking like mere dwarves next to him. Their faces, however, looked perfectly content and happy to help the new strangers. Ichijo gaped with his usual anime face.

"Ah, thank you ladies." The one called Valek took the objects from their hands. The maids bowed cordially. "Your assembly of attendants have been quite helpful during your temporary discharge. We thank you again for your hospitality."

"Yep, and for not callin' yer authorities on us. And for having yer attendants let me wear yer nice robe. I be lovin' it!" The stranger twirled in her new attire before beaming at Ichijo. "We hope we don't be causin' any further disruptions."

Ichijo almost smiled at her bubbly and somewhat odd nature. They were both surprisingly kind. But he could not forget the fact that he was going to have a heavy load in his hands.

"I-I don't know what to say." He answered nervously.

"Oh, but yah said somethin' eh? Oh and I almost forgot." The stranger did a quick curtsy. "The name is Tetua."

"Tetua," Ichijo repeated as he instinctively bowed back. "My name is Takuma Ichijo."

"A vampire, is it?" Valek spoke up inquisitively. "I knew the moment I had healed that your scent was different than a common human. Fortunately we had heard about your race from multitude of sources regarding earth's human timeline."

"Oh." Ichijo answered. "I didn't know my kind was so popular."

"He knows more than me. It was a surprise when he told me." Tetua added. "I apologize for callin' ya a homo sapien by the way. And for pointin' a weapon at yer head. I had ta be careful we didn't land in a disastrous period."

"Disastrous?" Ichijo became curious with their abundance of quirky information. "What do you mean?"

Valek and Tetua exchanged glances.

"Nothing! It was just my silly hunch. All is fine and dandy with yer world!" Tetua waved it off, but Ichijo was acquainted with secrets enough to know they were holding something back.

"So…where are you from?" He turned to the obvious questions. "And how did you get here?"

"Oo! Can I answer the first question?" Tetua raised her hand excitedly before clearing her throat. "We come from a land far far away where no man has everrr gone beforrre." She looked pleased with herself. "I practiced that line in case I bumped inta one of yer species."

Valek shook his head. "What she means to say is that we hail from a distant planet, Terros. And we were warp-hole hopping from one galaxy to another."

"And then we got some helter skelterin' in a giant cosmic force-field of dark matter, and our whole space craft got sucked in a warp-hole we weren't expectin'," Tetua flew her arms around to visualize the episode. "And the next thing we knew, our ride gotta dumpin' in yer planet."

"Luckily, my partner saved my life." Valek smiled at her. "It wasn't a good idea to face the force of a black hole on my own."

"I said the same thing, I did! But ya lucked out this time Valek, if it weren't for Takuma Ichi—" Tetua suddenly stopped as she noticed Ichijo's face, which at this point was dazed to the point of absolute stupor. "Ehhh, Sir Vampire, are ya alright?"

But Ichijo was not listening. He was too bewildered to care. All he knew was that their words were throwing him into a phase of excitement and curiosity. Black-holes, distant worlds, warp-hole hopping…he hardly heard about any of these things in his life. They were mere terms of science fiction. And yet here he was, facing two extra-terrestrial beings that had the power to do things he could not imagine. Anyone else would have thought they were crazy, but not him. He was different.

"I'm sorry to hear that." Ichijo simply answered after breaking out of his thoughts. "But I suppose it was fortunate that you, em, landed near my home of all places."

"Fortunate indeed," Valek continued. "In any case, I will return back to work. If we must ever increase our prospect of returning home, I must start looking into repairing our machine." He suddenly spoke something in a foreign tongue to Tetua that Ichijo could not understand. Then he turned to the maids. "Young ladies, I might need your assistance from hence forth."

"Yes, Valek-sama. We are glad to help." They spoke simultaneously before following him out. Ichijo had to wonder how he got them to comply so easily, almost like a pureblood vampire would do. But then he realized he was left alone with the alien girl beside him.

"Soooo….em…" Ichijo rubbed the back of his head awkwardly. "…how were you able to heal your friend exactly?"

"Ah the operation ya mean?" Tetua said before letting the pointed end of her tail rest between her fingers. "This thing comes with an anesthetic serum, a strong numbing medicine. I cut his chest with it before repairin' his organs back together. No pain, no mess." She squinted her eyes closely at him. "But beware, my tail can be dangerous ya see, even ta yer kind. It's gotta poison too, and it gets stronger every time I be threatened. A special weapon of mine."

"Oh." Ichijo sweat-dropped. "Then it's a good thing you don't have to worry about me being a threat."

Tetua smiled. "Do ya have a weapon?"

Ichijo's mind shot back to the many times he had used his katana of choice. It lied wrapped in a chest, forgotten now that he had no use for it against rowdy vampires. "I have a sword. A Japanese Katana."

"Ahh wahzaa!" She clapped her hands together, her skin glowing to each clap once again. "May I see it?"

"Uh..uh…well…" Ichijo was caught between hesitance and fascination. "I don't know if…"

"Ohhh I see, ya think I may steal it from ya." She pouted acceptingly. "Eh fair enough. Trust no stranger as the sayin' goes."

"N-no, I do trust you! I mean…" He tried to find the right words. Even if she was right, he did not want to admit it. "I'm just soooo interested by this thing your skin does…"

"Oh! Bioluminescent synapses!" She grabbed his hand and brought it to her breasts. Ichijo let out a yelp as his face turned red. "Oh sorry! A little higher." She moved his hand up between her collarbones. Suddenly a surge of energy pulsed through his veins and he saw in amazement as a blue-ish glow shot through his arm in rhythmic intervals. "Wha-what is this?"

"Transferrin' energy. An exchangin' of seamless emotions." Tetua spoke softly. "My kind projects bioluminescent signals when we express different feelings. We can share them with others too see? Kinda strange to ya eh?

Ichijo widened his eyes as they made contact with hers. The feeling of happiness and relief washed over his brain, but at the same time there was a hint of sadness he could not explain. His body felt suddenly light, and he felt himself floating on clouds. Just when he thought his immortal life had little value after the loss of things he held dear, Ichijo was now overwhelmed with a newfound hope.

"Beautiful…" He uttered automatically.

"Really?" Her eyes sparkled excitedly.

"Yeah…."

The stillness was suddenly broken by the telephone ring. Ichijo yelped again in surprise as he pulled his hand away, breaking the synapse.

"What's that?" Tetua took out her gun in defense. "Is that a signal for danger? Issa trouble brewin' here?"

"No, no, it's okay." Ichijo lowered her gun nervously. "It's just the telephone. Our, eh, machine for telecommunication. Someone is calling me."

"Oh." She looked embarrassed. "I knew that."

"Hold on." Ichijo smiled sheepishly before running for the nearest phone. "Ichijo Residence. Ichijo Takuma speaking."

"Don't forget to bring the books I told you for tomorrow." The voice of Hanabusa Aido came from the other end. "And Shiki and Rima just told me you were having some weird crisis."

"Aido-kun," Ichijo blew a sigh. "I'm fine now. There's no crisis at all."

"Whatever you say. I also heard that a few residences saw something fall from the sky into the woods near your chateau. Do you know about this?"

Ichijo looked back at Tetua anxiously. "Ehhhhh y-yeah! It was just a-a small meteorite. Already evaporated. There was a meteor shower today you know."

"Yes, so I've seen." Aido sounded a bit skeptical. "In any case, I hope once classes start tomorrow, you'll be acting yourself again."

"What?" Ichijo suddenly felt himself go numb. "C-classes?"

"We're going back to Cross Academy, or did the break mess with your head?" Aido huffed. "There's going to be more fangirls this time…not that I care since I have Yori-chan now."

"Y-yes…" Ichijo spoke shakily. "Of course…"

"Everythin' alright there Sir Takuma?" Tetua suddenly appeared behind him.

"Who's that?" Aido's words made Ichijo freeze in place. "Do you have some foreigner over there?"

"Uh uh, y-yeah! She-she…" Ichijo blurted out the first thing that came to his head. "She's a foreign exchange student!"

"I'mma what?" Tetua responded.

"She's a what?" Aido followed.

"A-a distant family friend interested in Cross Academy. Came right Shiki and Rima left." Ichijo continued. "I'll see you tomorrow, Aido-kun. Got to go!"

He hung up before Aido could respond. In his mind, a new set of apprehension and worry was taking place. What were his friends and peers going to say if they knew he was harboring aliens? What if they freaked out like him? What if it stirred up another hysteria among the humans?

"Did ya just tell yer companion I was an exchange student?" Tetua asked. "Well ya were quite quick on yer feet over there eh! Good on ya."

"No, not good!" Ichijo clutched both sides of his head. "They already know you exist which means they're going to ask. Which means they'd want to see you!" He took quick breaths. "Which means I'm screwed!"

"Oh yer not _that _screwed. My partner and I will just hide away in our nifty corner away from-a sight while we fix-a up-a our capsule and ya tella yer friends we left in a hurra." She shrugged casually.

"No, it's already out. They're not going to believe me. They're—" Ichijo turned to her. "Wait, do you understand Japanese?"

"The language ya were speakin' on that device?" She pointed to the phone. "Of course. I picked up a bit of yer spoken tongue through the synapses. I can do that yah know."

"W-what else can you do?" Ichijo was hopefully anxious now. "Can you, eh, turn yourself human?"

"Oh like this?" Tetua stepped back as her skin started changing color from head to foot. Within seconds, her cat-like eyes and alien features disappeared, and in place left what looked like a normal human girl wearing a very silly outfit. The pink strands in her maroon hair still remained, but the tail was now gone too. She rubbed her butt with dismay. Ichijo gasped.

"Shape-shiftin' is a blessin'." She grinned. "Now what is this all about eh?"

Ichijo instinctively grabbed her shoulders and looked at her with a twinkling eye. "Y-you have to accompany me tomorrow to Cross Academy. You're a foreign exchange student now and I must keep you with me to avoid suspicion!"

"W-whaaa?" Tetua pulled away. "Are ya out of yer mind? I'm not goin' to yer school!"

"I can't keep you here by yourself. People will ask!" Ichijo pleaded. "I know it's a stupid _stupid_ idea but hiding your friend and that spacecraft here is one thing, but if they already know I have a foreign-student in my house then…"

"I have ta help Valek fix the space capsule, I don't have time ta be a human. Or vampire. Or whatever." She folded her arms as she thought to herself. "Hmm, but then again, he is doin' quite well on his own. And ya did help us out. Not ta mention we can still get our asses kicked if we got discovered by the wrong people."

"Uh yes," Ichijo agreed. "I-it's okay. It'll only be one day. I'll just say you were going to take classes but you suddenly have to leave for urgent family matters."

"Sounds sneaky." Tetua snickered. "I like how ya think. Alright, deal."

_Whew!_ He let out a sigh. "All you have to do is follow my lead and you can blend in for the time being."

"Ah don't worry, I know how to be a vampire." Tetua opened her mouth and revealed her fangs. "Ooooo this'll be excitin' it will! Valek and I used ta disguise ourselves all the time. Too bad he can't join in the fun this round!"

"Yes. Fun." Ichijo said lowly. He already foresaw disaster, and he cursed himself for giving a false excuse to Aido so quickly. But he had no other choice. He hardly had a choice in any in this. He did not ask for his property to be suddenly turned into a workshop for repairing a spaceship. He did not ask for two aliens to turn his home into their refuge. He did not ask for so many cooky things to happen right before he was going to return to Cross Academy.

But he did ask for an adventure. He did ask for something new to happen—for his life to change. And now it was just going to be a battle between his yearning to learn their ways and his rationality to keep everything in order.

He rubbed his forehead. What would Kaname Kuran have done?

"Ah, the _Sixsmith Principle of Being_." Tetua picked up his book from the table. "I have a copy too. Great read eh?"

Ichijo smiled at her sprightliness. "Yes, it's my favorite book actually."

Yup, his life was going to change alright. And he could do nothing but go for the ride.

XXXXXX

* * *

**Good? Different? Should I keep going? What will the vampires think when they see this new "foreign-exchange student?" **

**Also Tetua is pronounced Teh-choo-ah. What do peeps think of her? And Valek?**

**Next chapter coming soon. **


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